The Method
The 12 Principles
Simplex Motus is built on twelve principles that describe how simple movement is learned, transferred, and taught. They are the spine of the books, the curriculum, and the essays. This page is a short introduction. The full treatment lives in the book.
Principle 01
Structure before technique
Posture, alignment, and frames are the vocabulary movement is written in. Techniques are sentences, they only mean something once the grammar is sound.
Principle 02
Position before submission
The finish is downstream of the fight for space, angle, and control. Chase position honestly and submissions arrive as consequences, not as ambushes.
Principle 03
Understanding before memorization
A memorized sequence collapses the first time an opponent refuses to cooperate. Understanding survives, because it can be rebuilt from principle in real time.
Principle 04
Simplicity before complexity
The best move is the simplest one that works. Complexity is a tax paid by the person who has run out of simpler options.
Principle 05
Efficiency before force
Strength is a finite resource. Skill is the discipline of solving the same problem with less of it every year you train.
Principle 06
Timing before speed
Speed without timing is noise. Timing lets a slow movement arrive at the right moment, and the right moment is what pressure is made of.
Six of the twelve are surfaced here. The remaining six, and the connective reasoning between them, are treated in full in the book.
Go Deeper
The 12 Principles of Jiu-Jitsu Movement
The full book anchors the Simplex Motus curriculum. A practical framework for training, coaching, and understanding the mat.